1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print system comprising a printer and a printer controlling device, and particularly relates to a print system in which data is transferred and received by selectively using a plurality of radio communication members.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a print system including a printer and a printer controlling device, the printer performs printing on the basis of print data inputted from the printer controlling device. In the printer, the print data inputted from the printer controlling device is converted into image data of a raster form. Printing is performed on the basis of the image data. Conventionally, the print data is transferred and received via a wire cable of RS-232C and so forth. However, as a radio communication technique develops, it is established to transfer and receive the data by utilizing the radio communication. As to the radio communication, a negotiation proceeds with a communication partner before starting the communication to interchange a communication form, a communication protocol and so forth. In this way, a radio communication channel is ensured.
Some of the print systems utilizing the radio communication build a network wherein plural printers are used (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-310532, for instance). In this kind of the print system, status data of the respective printers is transferred by using the radio communication channel. On the basis of the status data, print data taken in the printer having many print jobs is transferred to the other printer through a wire communication channel so that it is possible to carry out effective printing operations.
In the print system described in the above-noted Patent Publication, since the print data is transferred and received through the wire communication channel, portability of the printer lacks. In contrast, there are some print systems wherein the print data is inputted into the printer by utilizing both of the radio communication and optical communication (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 11-277840). In this print system, a portable printer comprises an interface for the optical communication, an interface for the radio communication, and a change-over member for switching these interfaces. The interface to be used is automatically selected in accordance with a signal format of the print data.
In the above-mentioned printer, either of the radio interface and the optical interface is used depending on the signal format of the print data. Accordingly, in order to keep both of the radio interface and the optical interface in a receivable state, it is necessary to continuously supply an electric power to both of them. Under a condition that an exclusive power source of a battery or the like is merely provided, the usable duration of the printer is affected. Meanwhile, the communication interface to be used at the transmission time is selected by a user. An operation of this selection is troublesome for the user. If the user mistakenly selects the interface, a data-transfer rate becomes late. Consequently, it becomes difficult to perform effective data communication.